1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to input/output of visual-haptic information, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for providing users with visual-haptic information through a visual-haptic keypad, an apparatus for providing the visual-haptic information, and a terminal provided with the visual-haptic keypad.
2. Description of Related Art
At the present time, in most terminals, a plurality of function keys including a keypad for the input of numerals or characters are provided in the form of buttons, and a terminal provided with buttons actually provides users with the same sense of manipulation (sense of button touch) with respect to all buttons of the terminal regardless of software, program and the like currently running in the terminal. Furthermore, button icons representing the meaning of the buttons provided in the terminal are attached to corresponding buttons in the form of numerals, the Korean alphabet, English characters, special characters and the like.
The terminal having the buttons as described above performs various functions such as short message creation, an electronic organizer and a game function in a phone book, a cell phone and the like, a user inputs information through the buttons when software, program and the like for performing the functions of the terminal are run (driven), and the terminal outputs information such that the user can easily perform the above-mentioned functions according to the information which is input by the user. Specifically, when a user does not simply input characters or numerals, for example, when the user drives software or program such as game, it is necessary for the user to naturally map the meaning of button icons attached to buttons with the meaning of function keys to be used in the game.
However, in the current terminal, when driving the software or program through the buttons, since it is difficult to map the meaning of the button icon attached to the button with the meaning of the function key to be used when driving the software or program, it is not easy to drive the software or program of the terminal for allowing users to use various functions of the terminal.
In addition, a terminal provided on the front surface thereof with a touchscreen provides a soft button function performed by software or program without using buttons, and inputs/outputs information by manipulating button icons in a more flexible manner such as changing of button icons according to currently driven software or program.
However, when inputting/outputting information by manipulating the button icons through the soft button function as described above, since a user makes contact with a separate panel in order to touch a soft button for the input of information to the terminal, it is particularly difficult to change button icons and a sense of button manipulation (a sense of button touch) according to the functions of buttons to be used in software or program which is being driven in order to use the functions of the terminal, resulting in a limitation in providing visual information and haptic information, that is, visual-haptic information, to users using the functions of the terminal by driving corresponding software or program.
In this regard, when a user uses the terminal having various functions as described above, in other words, when driving corresponding software or program in order to use the functions of the terminal, it is necessary to provide a method for allowing users to easily drive the corresponding software or program by easily mapping the meaning of button icons attached to buttons with the meaning of function keys to be used when driving the software or program, thereby allowing the users to easily use the functions of the terminal. In addition, it is necessary to provide a method for easily changing button icons and a sense of button manipulation (a sense of button touch) according to the functions of buttons to be used in software or program which is being driven in order to use the functions of the terminal, and easily providing users with visual information and haptic information, that is, visual-haptic information, during the driving of the software or program.